Online gambling in Argentina is at a turning point. In recent years, and increasingly so, several provinces have introduced new regulations governing online betting platforms. These initiatives are driven by the need to organise a rapidly expanding market, protect players and respond to increasingly visible social issues. This context creates an important opportunity to analyse the current legal framework, understand its federal logic and anticipate the future direction of online gambling regulation in Argentina.

Federalism as the cornerstone of gambling regulation

In Argentina, gambling regulation is shaped by a complex and fragmented federal system. There is no national gambling regulator and no comprehensive federal law that harmonises criteria across the entire country. Instead, the legal framework is built on powers divided between the federal state and the provinces.

The National Congress retains key powers in areas that affect online gambling across the board, including criminal law, particularly offences related to illegal gambling, the prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing, and tax matters shared with the provinces.

Although Congress legislates on civil and commercial law, section 1613 of the Argentine Civil and Commercial Code expressly excludes state-regulated games and betting from its scope, subjecting them instead to the administrative rules that authorise their operation. As a result, online gambling is governed by local public law while remaining subject to national public order legislation.

Under this model each province:

• Enacts its own laws
• Establishes its own regulatory bodies
• Defines licensing, supervision and enforcement requirements
• Sets the conditions for operating online gambling services

This regulatory fragmentation creates a diverse landscape. Some provinces have mature frameworks and active licences, while others are still at early stages of implementation. At present, jurisdictions such as Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza and Santa Fe have specific online gambling regulations in place.

Over the years, several initiatives have sought to introduce a national gambling law, most notably a bill promoted in 2016, but none have been enacted. The absence of a comprehensive national statute does not reflect a legal vacuum. It is a consequence of Argentina’s federal structure, which reserves gambling regulation to the provinces and requires operators to comply with the rules of each jurisdiction in which they operate.

Regulation in the province of Buenos Aires (PBA)

Within this federal framework, the PBA has established a specific regime for online gambling under Law No. 15,079. This statute provides the provincial legal basis for operating digital betting platforms, designates the enforcement authority and sets out the core principles of the system.

Buenos Aires stands out for having recently introduced one of the most demanding regulatory regimes for online gambling in the country. The province has updated its framework with a strong focus on player identity verification and the prevention of risky behaviour.

The enforcement authority, the Provincial Institute of Lotteries and Casinos, has made the implementation of biometric identification systems and liveness detection checks mandatory for accessing licensed platforms.

From a legal perspective this measure falls within the scope of Law No. 15,079 and raises the compliance standard for existing obligations such as user identification and the prohibition of access by minors.

These new rules strengthen the role of the provincial regulator and impose higher technical and legal obligations on operators, particularly in relation to user identity validation through facial recognition and liveness detection, bet traceability and the protection of vulnerable groups.

Biometrics and liveness as verification mechanisms

Biometric technology, mainly facial recognition, allows operators to verify that the person accessing the platform matches the registered identity and is not using third-party credentials.

Liveness technology plays a complementary role by preventing fraud through static images, recordings or other forms of impersonation. In the context of online gambling, it directly addresses the widespread issue of minors using adult accounts to bypass traditional controls.

From a regulatory perspective, biometric requirements represent a qualitative shift in the control model. It is no longer sufficient to validate identity only once at registration. User identity becomes a dynamic and verifiable element, subject to periodic or per-access checks as determined by the regulator.

For operators, this framework creates new technical and legal duties. They must deploy and maintain advanced identity verification tools, ensure their reliability and guarantee the lawful processing of sensitive personal data.

The impact of anti money laundering rules on online gambling operators

The prevention of money laundering and terrorist financing is an exclusive federal competence, governed mainly by Law No. 25,246, its amendments and regulations issued by the Financial Intelligence Unit.

Entities operating games of chance, including provincially licensed online gambling platforms, are classified as obliged entities under this regime.

The impact on operators is structural they must implement internal prevention policies, appoint a compliance officer, continuously monitor transactions and betting patterns, report suspicious activities and retain documentation for the legally required periods.

These obligations are national, uniform and mandatory. While provinces do not create anti money laundering rules, they require compliance as a condition for granting and maintaining online gambling licences. Breaches may lead to administrative sanctions and, in serious cases, suspension or revocation of operating authorisations.

How Know Your Customer requirements operate in Argentine online gambling

Within the anti money laundering framework, Know Your Customer (KYC) obligations are central. National rules require operators to identify and verify customers reliably, build risk profiles and assess whether gambling behaviour aligns with the customer’s declared economic capacity.

This standard functions as a nationwide regulatory baseline. No operator may fall below these requirements, regardless of the province in which it operates.

Above this baseline, provinces may impose additional technical measures. The biometric requirements in the province of Buenos Aires clearly illustrate how local regulation does not replace KYC obligations, but strengthens and deepens them by raising the level of scrutiny. Other jurisdictions continue to rely on less intrusive document-based verification systems, reflecting the diversity of approaches within Argentina’s federal framework.

Preventing gambling addiction and protecting under-18s

Online gambling regulation in Argentina increasingly incorporates a social dimension focused on preventing gambling addiction and protecting children and adolescents.

Permanent access to digital platforms, available twenty-four hours a day from any device, has increased the risks associated with compulsive gambling, particularly among young people. This is compounded by narratives that present gambling as a quick source of income, which are especially attractive to vulnerable audiences.

In response, provinces have introduced concrete risk mitigation measures. These include limits on deposits, losses and bet sizes, voluntary self-exclusion tools, strengthened age and identity checks, and mandatory information duties and active responsible gambling policies for operators.

The current regulatory approach moves away from the idea of a fully autonomous user and places operators in an active preventive role. Regulation no longer merely authorises the activity. It requires responsible conduct, early detection systems and effective safeguards, especially where minors are concerned.

Contact us if you are looking to verify player identities using biometrics and liveness detection in the Argentine online gambling industry.

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